Honda teases 2019 Insight hybrid with optional Apple CarPlay

Honda on Thursday previewed the 2019 Insight, which will optionally support Apple's CarPlay interface for connected iPhones.

With the appropriate package, CarPlay and Android Auto will be displayed on an 8-inch touchscreen, Honda said. The new Insight —currently being shown off in prototype form —is being positioned as a "premium" compact hybrid, a step above Honda's flagship Civic.

The car is expected to offer over 50 miles per gallon, and a variety of standard driver-assist technologies such as adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. Honda will launch the vehicle later this year.

The company was initially slow to support CarPlay, which debuted in 2014, but now offers it on a range of models such as the Accord, Civic, CR-V, and Fit. For a while the Fit was a conspicuous gap, unsupported until last year despite the car's popularity.

Most major auto brands now offer CarPlay-ready models, some other examples being BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Volkswagen.